Broken Arrow Bible Ranch: Summer 2008

What a summer it has been!  We know now this is our home on earth, and for two sojourners like us from the "Christian tribe"*, that is something major. Like when Michelle was 16, and when Rob was 26, this land and her people have captured our hearts.  We long to see all of them come to know Jesus.

Our two months serving at Broken Arrow Bible Ranch on summer staff has come to a close, and what an experience it has been.   Working with Native children and teens, working with young adults from around the USA who were also summer staff,  learning more about the Navajo culture, and so much more.

Michelle was honored to have gotten to go to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, and help pick up students from the Havasupai tribe.    It was an honor for her to meet Rob long term mentor, who is Navajo.  Rob was just thrilled to share the place of his dreams with his beloved bride of a wife.  We dont know how soon the road will bring us to Dine Bikeyah full time, but we do know we will be working to move out here as soon as the Lord allows.

~ Rob and Michelle Nickles

* Christian tribe is a term attributed to Josephus in 90s AD used to call Christians in, distinguishing from other ethnic groups.  Even if it was added later than original the writing, as some argue,  it was an established term used by the first known copy of Josephus' writing in 300s AD. 

Our Journey Begins

 A journey of our life lies out before us, as missionaries.  Where and how we will be serving among the Navajo as of yet is unknown.  We are looking to go serve this summer, to prepare and see how we serve together in this area.  This is both exciting and scary to us.  There are alot of unknowns as of yet on this path we walk, but we know God walks it with us.

Our journey to this actually started many years ago.  Back in 1996, Rob was lead to the Lord by a Navajo man, while he was serving on the reservation.  From there, the Lord called Rob to return to the people who gave him his relationship with Jesus.  For Michelle, while sitting alone in theater watching Rich Mullins' Canticle of the Plains in 1999, God called her to Dine Bikeyah, "the land of the people, the land of the Navajo".  This for her was an answer to a question that had been been one her heart since she was 7 when God called her to be a missionary, just 3 years after she gave her life to Jesus at the tender age of 4 and half years.    Yes, this journey might be a path of unknowns, but it is a path both of us have been preparing for through our life's journeys.

 ~ Rob and Michelle Nickles